Betrayed
by Syncop8ed Rhythm
Summary: McGee should have known something like this would happen. When he was told to keep it secret and not tell Gibbs, he should have followed his instincts. Now, his team didn't trust him or know where he was...he wasn't sure they would even try to find him.
1. Chapter 1

His gaze fell on the young man across the room. This was McGee-the stuttering computer prodigy that had morphed into a fine agent. This was McGee-the agent that they had reason to believe had become a traitor. "Boss…" Gibbs leaned over the unconscious form of DiNozzo, his anger growing at McGee's voice. Gibbs raised his gun, pointing it straight at McGee's heart. "Don't move," he said flatly, but he didn't need to give the order. McGee didn't even try to raise his gun. Sadness and understanding flickered across the younger man's face. McGee's gaze fell to DiNozzo's still form, and worry joined the mixture. "Is he-?"

"Don't you dare ask about him! You don't have the right to!" Gibbs snapped.

McGee frowned, his shoulders slumping, "Please, Boss-"

"What made you do it, McGee? What made you turn your back on everything you believed in?"

A sudden scuffling noise came from the door and both men turned, McGee automatically lifting his gun. Several masked men entered the room, aiming at each of the agents. "No!" One of the masked men took a step forward before he was tugged back. Another member of the group forced a chuckle. "You're outnumbered, gentlemen." When neither of the two men moved, he continued to speak. "We only want you, Agent McGee. Come with us willingly and we'll let these two be." He tilted his head to gesture at Gibbs and DiNozzo.

McGee slanted a look at Gibbs, then DiNozzo. "Fine," McGee said, defeat clear in his posture and tone. He lowered his weapon, his gaze once again snagging on Gibbs. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Worry, hope, support…something. But all he received was a look full of fury, the message clear. _You're on your own, Traitor._ The masked men pulled McGee from the room and into a waiting van. A rag was forced over his nose, and as he began to pass out, McGee realized he had never felt so hopeless.

* * *

AN: Hey! Here's a chapter of my new story. It's not finished, so I'm not sure if I'm crazy or not by uploading it already, but...I got excited. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed and added this story to their alerts and favorites. I hadn't planned on uploading anything so quickly, but you guys convinced me :) By the way, I've seen authors respond in different ways. Is a thank you in the AN's section enough, or would you guys prefer me to send you a message?

* * *

"You're here late, Agent McGee," Director Vance folded his arms as he stared at Tim.

"I'm just finishing a few things up, sir," Tim replied, wondering what Vance wanted.

"McGee, I'd like to speak with you. In my office, please."

McGee's eyebrows lifted, curious. There was no one else in the bullpen. "Of course, sir," he stood and followed Vance up the stairs. Vance sat at his desk, steepling his hands together. He seemed to be making one last decision. Staring off into the distance, he nodded his head once before returning his gaze to McGee. "McGee, one of the guys from cybercrimes came to see me today. It seems that he feels there is a breach in our security."

McGee tilted his head, "Does he know who it is?"

Vance shook his head, one hand moving to touch a file on his desk. "He didn't know; he'd just noticed some idiosyncrasies in the system, certain files showing a record of several failed access attempts. And he was less than willing to point fingers at one of his colleagues, in case they have nothing to do with this."

Tim frowned, thinking. "I could set up a program to try and catch whoever is accessing these files."

Vance gave a quick smile; the kid was already hooked. He picked up the file and handed it to McGee. "Actually, I was hoping you'd be able to do a bit more than that. You see," Vance nodded his head at the file McGee had started to flip through, "the files that were being accessed would turn a hefty profit if they were to be sold. If you set up the program to catch this…mole, then we could very well lose the connection to any buyers." He paused before adding, "I don't want that to happen."

McGee almost shuddered at Vance's expression. "So, what if we had a middle man?"

"Go on," Vance said.

"Well, I could set up a program that would hold back the information from the hacker, but send a message that says I am interested in working with him and can get him even better intel."

Vance nodded as he thought through the suggestion. "I don't like giving out classified intel, though, McGee."

"Then we set up fake files marked as highly classified, with just enough truth to pass at first glance." Tim had that slightly flushed feeling that came with his excitement. He was looking forward to a good challenge.

"Run with it," Vance ordered. Tim nodded and turned to leave. "Oh, and McGee? This stays between us."

McGee turned back, "But Gibbs-"

"Between us, McGee. Understand?"

Tim hesitated, a slight feeling of foreboding filling him. "Yes, sir," he said finally.

* * *

AN: As always, I value your responses...


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for the reviews guys! They make my day :) I am sorry if I confuzzled anyone (that was an awesome word by the way Servant05) and I did add a few little details to chapter 2 that you might want to look at, especially SumNumb3rs :) I did address the issue in this chapter, but you had a good point. Hopefully my editing made it more realistic!

* * *

One week later…

Tim pulled up the program he'd been working on. A few more tweaks and he would be ready to start the operation. "Hey, Probie!" McGee jumped, blanking the screen on his computer as he turned to Tony. "Tony! Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you left." Tim tried to cover his nervous stutter. He silently cursed himself, could it _be _any more obvious that he was hiding something?

Tony stilled as he reached his desk. "Uh, yeah, but I left my phone here." Tony held up the device to show Tim. "I thought you would have left by now, too, McGee. Everything okay?"

Tim forced a smile, "Yeah, just had some work to finish up on. You know."

"Uh-huh." Tony wasn't convinced, but decided to let it drop. "Well, don't stay too late Probie."

"Yeah. See ya Tony." McGee watched Tony head back to the elevator. He really hated lying to his team.

* * *

The next few days, Tim made sure to leave with Tony and Ziva, returning to the office only after he was sure no one from his team was still working. Still, Tony watched McGee. Something was…wrong. What would McGee keep from him?

When McGee went down to Abby's lab, Tony made his decision. "Boss?"

"Yeah?"

Tony looked over to where McGee had left. "Sometime today, DiNozzo." But Gibbs' voice didn't have the bite it usually held and Tony looked back at his boss to confirm his suspicions. Yes, Gibbs was looking at the same place Tony had been.

"McGee's been acting strange lately. I caught him here after everyone had left, which I wouldn't usually find weird, but he blanked his computer screen. I had a hunch and drove back here a few times after work this week and saw his car in the parking lot, even though I know he left at the same times that I did." DiNozzo checked to make sure McGee was still nowhere in sight. "He won't talk to me, Boss."

Gibbs looked over to McGee's empty desk, thinking. He could tell Tony was worried, and to be honest, so was he. McGee had been acting…nervous around him lately. "Yeah, Tony." He stood up with a sigh and headed up the stairs to Vance's office. Odds were, if it was something work related that McGee was keeping from them, Vance would probably know. And be the reason behind it. If not, then it was something personal…or Vance was lying.

"Gibbs. What can I do for you?" Vance leaned back in his chair, studying the man. He hadn't thought it would take Gibbs long to confront him about McGee, and he was right.

"Leon, you got one of my men working on a special project for you?"

Unfortunately, Vance couldn't tell him the truth. Secrecy was the key to making the mission work. "No. Why? You got a problem?"

Gibbs eyed him, "You sure, Leon? There's nothing you want to tell me?"

"Nope. You done accusing me?"

Gibbs studied him a moment more, then gave a nod and strode from the room.

* * *

Tim frowned and leaned closer to the computer monitor. The information that Vance had given McGee showed the hacker targeting files on weapons shipments. However, just to be safe, he had set up several classified files pertaining to different fields, just in case the guy decided to branch out. Several held the information that McGee knew would peak the hacker's interests, like weapons shipments, while several others were on classified missions; some folders even dealt with the security system at NCIS. Or at least, it looked like the folders held that type of information. He was quite proud of the way these decoys had come out. Now, he just hoped the mole fell for his trap.

"What are you still doing here, McGee?" Gibbs walked into the bull pen and McGee stifled a groan.

"Hey, Boss." Tim had been sure Gibbs had left several hours ago. Gibbs leaned back against his desk and watched McGee. Nervous, Tim blanked the screen and looked at his boss, whose eyebrows had lifted when he caught McGee's actions.

"What?"

"I asked what you're still doing here, McGee."

"Oh, umm, just-just some extra work." McGee tried to smile, but failed. Dang, when did he turn back into the nervous Probie? He supposed he should face the fact that he would never be able to lie to his team.

Gibbs crossed his arms," Is everything okay, McGee? Something going on that I should know about?"

_Yes! Yes, there is! Come on, Boss. Guess what it is and then I won't break an order. _McGee cleared his throat. "No. Nothing, Boss."

Gibbs eyed him, that piercing blue gaze seeming to see straight through Tim's denials. Slowly, Gibbs nodded. "Alright then. Don't stay too late." And with that, he walked off.

Tim dropped his head in his hands. _I'm sorry, _he said silently.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony and Ziva walked down the stairs, the familiar sound of Gibbs sanding his boat filling the air. "Well?" Tony asked.

Gibbs stopped what he was doing and moved to lean against his workbench. "Yeah, he's hiding something."

"Did Vance know?" Ziva asked.

"He claims McGee's not doing any work for him."

"Do you believe him?" Tony asked.

Gibbs crossed his arms and smirked. Tony and Ziva both correctly translated that to mean: _Not really, but I haven't got another choice. _ "Then what do we do?" Ziva asked quietly, voicing the question they all had.

"We keep an eye out for him. If it's something personal, hopefully he'll come to us. If it's not, we'll just make sure he doesn't get in over his head."

_

* * *

A few afternoons later:_

Tim squinted at the monitor. Finally! Someone was taking the bait. He started typing quickly, blocking the hacker from getting into the folders, then sending a message. It was a simple three-word message, before he completely shut the hacker out of the files to gain the upper-hand.

_I want in._

It didn't take long for the hacker to search for another file to break into. Tim let him get a little further before cutting him off. Tim didn't want the guy to be suspicious of these files, and if he stopped him immediately, it would raise a red flag. Again, he sent a message. The same one.

_I want in._

A half hour later, a message beeped back at him. It was a time and place to meet.

* * *

Tim looked at his watch and grimaced. Of course they would catch a case that would keep the team well into the evening. And of course, this just happened to occur the same day as his meet.

"Something wrong, McGee?"

Tim looked up, his gaze colliding with Gibbs' gaze. "Yeah, Boss. Well, not exactly wrong, but a slight problem-"

"Sometime today?"

McGee blew out a breath. "I need to leave for a short time. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Where are you going, in the middle of a case?"

"It's…personal, Boss." He cleared his throat.

Gibbs studied him for a few moments, before giving a jerk to his head that told Tim to go.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim grabbed his backpack and headed to the elevator.

The other three agents looked at each other before Gibbs nodded his head. "Tony, go." Immediately, Tony shot up and headed for the stairs. With any luck, he'd be ready and waiting in his car before Tim got to his own.

* * *

AN: Sorry it's so short guys. I should hopefully have a larger update this next weekend. Let me know if anything is confusing, and I'll try to clear it up. Thanks for all of your reviews! I really do look forward to hearing what you guys think about the stories, or what you like and don't like.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thanks for all the comments! I know the last few updates have mostly been filler chapters, so thanks for hanging in! And Servant05, that was a good idea; I wasn't entirely happy with the division on some of the chapters. I might go back and fix them after I complete this story. Oh, and since it's been a little slow, I'm putting up two chapters!

* * *

McGee got out of the car and began walking to the footbridge. He didn't see anyone else at the location, no other visitors, which wasn't completely surprising as it was getting dark. A few minutes into his wait, someone walked out from the shadows. He stopped a short distance away from McGee, a hat covering the features on his face.

"Never thought I'd see the day Timothy McGee turned traitor."

McGee studied the man, knowing he was trying to disguise his voice. "You know my name. How about telling me yours?"

The man took a step back from McGee. "Not tonight."

Silence stretched between the two before the stranger broke it. "Give me a reason to trust you."

"I want in. I can get you the information you're looking for."

"That doesn't make me trust you."

McGee shrugged, "What do you want to know?"

"Why should I trust you? Why should my employer? What would make you turn your back on your team?"

Tim crossed his arms, hesitating before giving an answer. "Let's just say, I'm tired of being viewed as the weak link on my team, for my skills not being appreciated."

"So," the man tilted his head, "You want to use those skills to get back at them."

Tim dipped his head.

"That I can understand." The man paused for a few seconds, before continuing. "I've talked to my employer, and told him I may have someone who can get better information. He's intrigued. He wants us to have a session first, to see if you can deliver."

McGee's stomach twisted with nerves. "Where?"

The man looked around before pulling out a slip of paper from his pocket. Dropping it on the ground, he added, "Don't be late." And with that, he melted back into the shadows.

* * *

Tony watched the exchange from a distance, a strange mixture of confusion, unease, and anger building in him. This looked suspiciously like a meet, and Tim had no back-up. If this had been an undercover op, he should have had someone to watch his back, but there was no one. He would never have guessed Tim would do something illegal, but proof was starting to pile up against him.

His gaze narrowed as he watched McGee pick up what looked like a slip of paper and tucked it in his pocket. They needed to see what was on that paper. Since Tim wasn't talking, maybe it would shed some light on the situation. Tony started the car and drove away. Maybe McGee was being coerced into…this, whatever this was. He shook his head. "What the heck have you gotten yourself into, Probie?"

* * *

When Tim returned to the office, he knew the others were stealing looks at him. His mouth twisted as he started working again. He was starting to feel cut off his team and he really didn't like that. His thoughts turned to the meet. He really didn't like doing this without the team's support. McGee could feel someone staring at him. He looked over and met Tony's stare, surprised by the curiosity and…was that hostility? leaking from his expression. He sighed when Tony looked away. He had really been hoping his team wouldn't be disappointed that he was hiding this from them, but-and maybe this was just his guilty conscious-he could already feel a distance beginning to grow.

Ziva stood up suddenly. "McGee, come with me to get some coffee."

McGee gave a small head shake as he stood up. What would this be? Interrogation #3? First, Tony, then Gibbs; now it was Ziva's turn. The excitement he'd had when he'd started this operation was long gone. McGee was ready for this to be over so he could tell his team what he had been doing.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Warning, I updated two chapters today, not just one. Make sure to read chapter 5. :)

* * *

Tim drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, nervous. He must have been crazy when he told Vance he didn't need any support for this. He'd had a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach ever since he had gotten to the location. He looked at his watch. If he waited any longer, he would be late. He grabbed his computer bag and got out of the car.

* * *

"There he goes, Boss. Alone."

Gibbs watched McGee head into the building, confusion and anger warring for dominance.

"McGee's not that experienced with undercover work. If Vance was using him, wouldn't he have had someone watching out for him?" DiNozzo asked.

"You'd think so, DiNozzo. Ziva, what do you see?" She sat on top of a nearby factory, which gave her a bird's-eye view of the scene.

"A black sedan heading south towards the building," She replied.

Gibbs and Tony looked for the car and saw it pulling up next to the building. Two men got out.

"Uh, Boss? They had guns. Big ones."

"I saw, DiNozzo!" Gibbs gripped the windowsill, his knuckles turning white at the pressure. He and Tony were across the street in an old building, long since abandoned. "Ziva, you see any other cars?"

With Ziva's negative, Tony and Gibbs darted out of the building, and ran towards McGee's location. They dove behind a garbage can when the two men reappeared in the doorway with McGee. Their voices could easily be heard in the still air.

"We just wanted to make sure the building was secure before the meet starts. We wouldn't want to find out this was a trap the hard way, would we?"

They saw Tim nod. "That's understandable. I'll be setting up." McGee turned back into the building, leaving one of the masked gunmen to talk into a radio.

"Building is clear. It's safe to-" He was stopped by the second man.

"Let's clear the area around the building first, moron. Then call it in."

Tony and Gibbs looked at each other. If these men searched the area, they would be found. "We'll have to split up," Gibbs said.

They nodded at each other, then ran out from behind the dumpster. Gibbs headed towards an alleyway, while Tony was going to try to skirt behind the building Tim was in. He heard shouting and knew they had been spotted. One of the two masked men had already been moving to check the perimeter, putting him right in DiNozzo's way. He cursed to himself and veered to the side, deciding at the last moment to enter the building. Hopefully, he'd have an advantage in here if the man decided to use his gun. The first room he came to was wide open, and offered no hiding spots. He continued, running into another room, freezing when he realized he'd run straight into the room where McGee was setting up.

"T-Tony! What are you doing here?"

Tim must have heard the commotion, because he had his back-up service weapon halfway out of its ankle holster. Tony opened his mouth to reply when Tim shouted, "Tony! Duck!" A gunshot went off, quickly followed by a second, and two figures fell to the ground.

* * *

AN: Was that more exciting? :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! Here are two chapters, to show my gratitude!

* * *

Gibbs could hear one of the men following him, and quickly darted into the shadows. The man slowed when he realized he had lost sight of him, moving cautiously down the alley. Gibbs waited for the man to step past him before jumping at him. An elbow flew back, knocking the air out of Gibbs, who landed a punch in return. The man was not a marine, and after a few more fists went flying, Gibbs had the man flat on his back, unconscious. Quickly, he secured the man, handcuffing him to a sturdy pipe jutting from the nearby building. He began jogging out of the alley and had just reached the building where McGee was when he heard, "Tony! Duck!" When he heard the gunshots, he darted into the building.

* * *

McGee lowered his gun and ran over to the masked man, kicking the gun from his limp grasp. Tim's shot had hit the man square in the chest. He put his fingers on the man's neck, eyes closing for the briefest second when he felt no pulse. Then, he darted over to Tony, panic making his heart race when he saw blood spreading from his shoulder. He would have to stop the bleeding.

He dropped to his knees beside Tony when he heard Gibbs rasp," Get away from him!"

Surprised at the man's appearance and anger, McGee hesitated. "Boss?"

"Now!" Gibbs ordered, dropping down by Tony and putting pressure on DiNozzo's shoulder. Tim stood and backed away from the two men.

"Ziva, call an ambulance. And there's a man in the alleyway you need to pick up."

Tim watched as Gibbs studied Tony then lifted his eyes to scan the room, taking in the computer McGee had already set up before turning his glare to him. "Boss…" The man was angrier than McGee had ever seen him.

Why were they even here? He was sure Vance hadn't told them. Then how did they know? Unless…they must have suspected something and begun to watch after him when he started acting strangely. And if they weren't getting the whole story, were only seeing Tim having a meeting with…questionable characters that were _armed_, then McGee knew it didn't look good.

Gibbs raised his gun. "Don't move."

The order, given without any inflection, made Tim flinch slightly as he realized the man was beyond angry. Tim's gaze fell on Tony before returning to Gibbs. "Is he-?" He began to ask when Gibbs cut him off.

"Don't you dare ask about him! You don't have the right to!"

McGee felt his shoulders slump. It was his fault, all of it. The mission had failed and Tony was shot. _It was all his fault!_

"Please, Boss…" He wanted to explain, wanted to apologize, wanted to see if Tony was alright.

Instead, loathing coating his words, Gibbs cut him off once more. "What made you do it, McGee? What made you turn your back on everything you believed in?"

_No! Never, Boss! _The words he wanted to say remained lodged in his throat when a scuffling sound came from the door. McGee automatically lifted his gun, pointing it at a group of masked men, who were all aiming at them in turn. Anger twisted McGee's stomach when he saw one of the guns pointed straight at DiNozzo's prone form. "No!" One of the masked men took a step towards his dead comrade before he was tugged back.

Tim's grip tightened on the weapon as he heard a chuckle. "You're outnumbered, gentlemen." When neither of the two men moved, he continued to speak. "We only want you, Agent McGee. Come with us willingly and we'll let these two be." He tilted his head to gesture at Gibbs and DiNozzo.

McGee slanted a look at Gibbs, then Tony. "Fine," McGee said, defeat clear in his posture and tone. He lowered his weapon, his gaze once again snagging on Gibbs. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Worry, hope, support…something. But all he received was a look full of fury, the message clear. _You're on your own, Traitor._ The masked men pulled McGee from the room and into a waiting van. A rag was forced over his nose, and as he began to pass out, McGee realized he had never felt so hopeless.


	8. Chapter 8

Where was he? He delayed opening his eyes, choosing first to listen and feel. He didn't want anyone to know he was awake just yet.

He heard nothing. _Okay, less than helpful. What do I feel? _He was sitting up, in a chair. Sort of. His head was resting on a flat surface. Still not hearing anything, he opened his eyes, quickly closing them when the light caused pain to flair through his head. He had a vague flash of memory, where a rag was held over his face. Chloroform. He grimaced and slowly opened his eyes.

There was a single light bulb over his head that cast a circle of light on Tim and the table he was leaning on. He gave a small smile, just imagining what Tony would have said about this set up.

He could hear him now…_I feel like I'm in a B movie. You've got, what, a room in an old warehouse? A single light bulb, a table, a chair? I'll give them points for trying, but the lack of originality pretty much cancels them out._

Tim's smile faded when he remembered Tony had been shot. If only he'd seen the gunman sooner. If only he'd had backup. If only he had told Gibbs…

Would Gibbs even try to look for him? He really wasn't certain. Vance needed to tell his team what Tim had been doing.

He hoped Tony was okay.

Tim tried to focus. He wasn't tied to the chair, so maybe he still had a chance. A small speck of hope bloomed. Maybe he could talk whoever had taken him into believing his team had ambushed him. Well, they had, but that was okay. He could use his surprise at their appearance to sell the story.

Hopefully they wouldn't think him too much trouble and decide to just kill him.

* * *

AN: I always look forward to hearing from you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Hey guys! Thanks for the awesome reviews! My apologies for the second chapter that was short and dinky last week ;) (Why did I have a feeling someone _ahem_*_Servant05 _* would point that out?) So here are two longer chapters for you awesome readers! And I in no way left it as a cliffhanger.

* * *

Gibbs settled into the seat with a sigh. The gunshot to Tony's shoulder was a through and through. He'd lost a good amount of blood, but that wasn't what Tony was worried about.

"You just let them take McGee?" He asked, incredulous.

"We were outnumbered, Tony. There was nothing I could have done. Ziva was too far away to help."

"But Boss, now they've got Probie!"

"Yes, they have McGee." Gibbs closed his mouth around the rest of the words he wanted to say. _McGee, who got you shot and, based on the setup at the meet, the man willing to sell classified documents._ Gibbs couldn't believe he had misread McGee so badly. How could McGee have hidden this side of himself?

Tony shifted on the hospital bed, easily guessing Gibbs' unspoken thoughts before quietly asking, "Do you really believe McGee is a mole?"

Gibbs glared at the wall. He was beyond angry right now. Betrayed.

"Do you really believe McGee would betray us?" Tony repeated.

Gibbs sighed. McGee had been on his team a long time. Truth of the matter was, he really didn't know how McGee could turn his back on his beliefs. But there had been evidence! Not a lot, admittedly…He cursed softly.

"Thing is Boss, there was more evidence against me when I was framed for murder. Either Tim was undercover, or he was being forced to do this."

"I agree with Tony," Ziva said as she strode into the room, followed by Vance.

"Do you want to tell me _why_ you interfered with an ongoing investigation?" Vance asked, looking at the three of them angrily.

Three pairs of eyes met his, their confusion turning to accusation.

"McGee _was _working for you!" Tony exclaimed.

"Explain, Leon," Gibbs ordered.

Vance crossed his arms, "I had a…tip there might be a mole. I called in McGee to help. He came up with a program to block the mole and was able to set up a meeting with him. We were hoping to not only catch the guy, but the buyers as well." He looked around the room, hiding a grimace. He'd known Gibbs wouldn't be happy that Vance had commandeered McGee for his own mission, but he hadn't taken into account the rest of the team. Both DiNozzo and David looked like they were ready to explode.

"And you told McGee not to tell us," Gibbs added, expression blank.

Vance nodded. "I didn't want information about the investigation to start spreading-"

Gibbs swore, anger breaking his neutral expression. "Why wouldn't you let him tell us, Leon? His own team! We would have been better prepared to watch his back, not watch him get taken!"

"Then, did we break his cover?" Ziva asked. They turned to look at her, and she continued. "McGee had it under control until we got too close. And it wasn't a random team that broke up the meeting. It was us. They won't believe he didn't plan that."


	10. Chapter 10

He didn't have to wait long for someone to enter the room. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair as he heard the door open. _Just play the part of the inconvenienced hacker, _he told himself. Unfortunately, that option was taken from him as soon as the door opened.

Three men walked into the room, one dragging a chair to the table and sitting across from Tim. The other two stayed in the shadows, making it difficult to track their movements.

"You lied to us, Agent McGee," the man in the chair said.

McGee lifted his eyebrows, preparing to deny the accusation, when the other two men came up on each side of him. Before he could speak, they forced his arms to the arms of the chair and tied them securely.

"Hey! What-?" He tried to pull away, but one of the men backhanded him. McGee felt his lip split and gave a quiet grunt of pain, his next struggles too late to prevent the men from securing him to the chair. He met the gaze of the man across the table, trying to swallow his fear.

"You see Agent McGee, we make it out business to know the people we work with, so when you showed an interest in working with us, we did some digging. Now why would Special Agent Timothy McGee, an intelligent, loyal member of NCIS and youngest member of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team, be willing to sell us classified intelligence that could put lives at risk?"

"I already answered this question-"

The man waved his hand carelessly, "It wasn't a very satisfying answer."

McGee's jaw clenched, "I was tired of being taken for granted! What else do you want me to say?"

"Do _not _insult my intelligence, Agent McGee! Your team even showed up at the second meeting-"

"I didn't know they'd be there! They must have gotten suspicious and followed me."

The man glanced to McGee's right, and the guard hit McGee across the face. "If you interrupt me again, Agent McGee…" He let the threat trail off before continuing. "Perhaps you could have convinced me you knew nothing about your team's presence, but our cameras showed us how readily you protected your friend."

A blink was the only thing that showed Tim's surprise. A fist landed in his stomach. McGee folded over as much as the rope let him before a punch to the jaw jerked him back upright.

"You'll have to forgive Max. You see, the guard who died was a good friend of his."

McGee opened his eyes, breathing heavily through the pain. "What do you want?" He asked in a low voice thick with anger.

The man leaned back in his chair, making his face fall into shadow. He rested a hand on the table and tapped his fingers slowly. Finally, he answered. "The Navy will be transporting a large load of weapons soon. We want to know when and where this will take place, and a list of the weapons to be moved. We want you to get us that information. Will you do so willingly?"

McGee dropped his head, a momentary panic taking over his mind. It took a few seconds to calm down enough to focus. There were two choices that McGee was facing, and one of those wasn't even an option.

He would not agree to help them.

The second option actually splintered into a couple choices. One: if he said no, he might be killed immediately. A possibility, but not a very likely one. Two: if he said no, they would probably try to coerce him into helping. Tim had two options if this happened. Say no, always no. Or say no, delaying long enough to give NCIS a chance to locate him…and if that didn't happen, pretend to break. Pretend to break to get access to a computer, where he could fake the information they wanted while sending Abby clues to find him.

Tim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was going to be in a lot of pain soon. Then he looked up and met the man's eyes. Grim and determined, he spoke only one word.

"No."

The man pushed himself to his feet with a sigh. "A shame. Not unexpected, of course, but a shame nonetheless. Very well, I have some calls to make, Agent McGee. For now," he gestured to Max, "I believe Max has some business he would like to settle with you."

He left the room with the other guard, leaving Tim to watch as Max pushed the table out of his way and turned to look at him. When he met Max's eyes, seeing a cold anger in their brown depths, he couldn't help the feeling of dread coating his stomach.

Max's hands shot out and gripped Tim's throat. McGee twisted his head, trying to pull free of the hands choking him. "You're going to pay!" Max hissed, watching McGee's eyes start to droop. He let go and backhanded McGee.

"You're going to pay!" He repeated.

* * *

AN: That's not really a cliffhanger, is it? :)


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Thanks for the reviews! I love hearing what you guys thought! Okay, so I'm uploading 3 chapters today. I was just going to do 2, and then I saw how short they were and had to add another chapter. Now about next week's update...I will be studying for a HUGE test that weekend, so my update might be delayed by a few days. I will do my best to get something up for you guys, though. Just keep an eye out!

* * *

Vance squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Right now, we don't know if McGee's cover was blown when you guys interfered, or if he'd already been compromised. We'll assume he's in trouble since he's had no contact with any of us."

"Ziva, go process the scene. I'll interrogate our suspect," Gibbs said.

"Boss, I'll help Ziva," Tony said, swinging his legs off the bed.

Gibbs looked hard at him, trying to decide if he looked well enough to help. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he nodded. With a plan in mind, they left the hospital.

* * *

Dylan Stanfield strode from McGee's room, already planning what he needed to do next. He had a phone call to make.

"Uncle."

Dylan turned to greet his nephew, "Johnny-boy! What are you doing here?"

The younger man shrugged, "Thought I'd see how the plan was progressing."

Dylan gave a smile, pride coating his voice as he replied, "Well, you were right, nephew. He won't help us. Not yet." He clapped his hand on John's shoulder. The boy was bright; he'd come up with this plan, and if it all went well, none of them would be caught. Especially not his nephew.

They still needed to be careful, though. "Should you be here?"

Johnny gave a quick smile, "I was just leaving now. I wanted to say goodbye to you first, though."

"Ah, Johnny-boy. What would I do without you?" They clapped each other on the back once more before John left. Dylan watched him leave while he made his phone call. Agent McGee needed to be persuaded before he agreed to help them.


	12. Chapter 12

He wasn't sure how long Max stayed in the room with him, all he knew was that he was in more pain than he had ever been. And this was just the beginning.

He _was_ pretty sure a few hours had passed before the door slammed open once more. Light spilled in from the hallway, backlighting the person standing in the doorway. The hope that had grown when the door slammed open, that maybe his team had found him already, was extinguished when he took in the tall, curly-haired figure standing there.

"Well, looks like one of my tactics has already been used." The voice had a smooth southern drawl to it that took Tim by surprise. "Doesn't matter. Beating someone is one of the…cruder forms of persuasion. I usually use it as a starting point, though. It gives me a good gauge as to the…stamina, the will, the stubbornness of my target."

McGee just stared at the man. If he were writing a book, this would be an interesting element. A southern drawl was usually welcoming and warm, which made the words coming from this man all the more disconcerting. The man moved from the doorway, entering Tim's little circle of light as he set a case down on the table.

"You can call me Tom. It's not my real name, of course, but I thought you might want to put a name to the face," He said as he flipped the latches on his case.

Tim closed his eyes, trying to gather himself when Tom turned his back to him. _And so it begins, _he thought.

* * *

Gibbs strode into the interrogation room, not even looking at the man sitting at the table. He sat down and leaned back in his chair, reading his file. They weren't going to get much information from this guy-Not because he wouldn't crack, but because he was young. At 25 years of age, Brandon Jenkins had yet to lose that puppy dog look and probably hadn't been entrusted with any important information. Gibbs kept reading the file, despite the fact he knew everything in it already. It didn't matter, he was just waiting.

The minutes ticked by slowly, the suspect getting more and more anxious until-Wham!-Gibbs slammed the folder down and leveled a glare across the table. The young man jumped, his wide-eyes latching onto Gibbs, his fingers shaking slightly with nerves. Jenkins opened his mouth, then snapped it closed, his uncertainty at whether to spill what he knew or to keep quiet clearly evident in his actions.

"Where is my agent?" Gibbs asked quietly.

Jenkins opened his mouth, then snapped it closed again.

Gibbs slammed his hand down, "Where?"

"I don't know! I-I don't know where he is!"

"Then tell me what you _do _know," Gibbs ordered. Jenkins hesitated, but quickly started talking when Gibbs leaned slightly across the table.

* * *

"So, Agent McGee," Tom leaned back against the table, arms crossed, "will you help us?"

McGee's stomach clenched. He knew what was going to happen next. "No."

He was pleased at how calmly he spoke, but the pleasure was short-lived. Tom's hand hovered over the device he had just finished setting up. Then he smiled.

"I didn't think it would be that easy." Without another hesitation, he flipped a switch.


	13. Chapter 13

"What did you find?" Gibbs questioned Tony and Ziva after their return.

"We sent some prints down to Abby, but perhaps the most interesting thing we found was a tiny camera. It was in the vent shaft," Ziva said.

"Was it transmitting?"

"Not anymore," Tony said, "But we sent it to Abby, too. Maybe she'll be able to work her magic on it."

Gibbs nodded. If there was any clue to be found, she'd find it. Someone had messed with both Tim _and _Tony. Suffice to say…if Abby got her hands on these guys, Gibbs would almost feel bad for them. Almost.

"What did Jenkins tell you, Boss?" Tony asked as he lowered himself into his chair.

"He didn't know who hired him. The only thing he could tell me was the name of the dead guy and the other guards he had been working with. We need to see if these men had any past connections that will give us a lead to go on." Gibbs paused for a moment, giving Tony a chance to ask the question he and Ziva had been discussing.

"Was that their plan, Boss? To take McGee? Or was that because we interfered?" Tony saw Ziva lean forward in her seat, anxious to hear the answer.

Gibbs sighed. "Jenkins told me his job was to make sure there was no one else in the area. As for whether or not that meant McGee was going to be taken or to make sure their boss was secure, he didn't know. He was going to get further instructions over his radio."

Tony's hand clenched in anger. Of course they couldn't get a clear answer. Now he had to wait to find out if it was his fault McGee had been kidnapped. He shook his head as he returned to his computer, acknowledging the fact that he would feel guilty no matter what. McGee was _his _Probie, and Tony hadn't had his back.

* * *

Deep breath in…and out.

Again…In…and out.

He stared straight ahead. If there were more lights on, he would be able to see the door.

In…and out.

There was a voice, speaking meaningless words. It would take him a while to be able to focus enough to understand what Tom was saying.

In…and out.

He had to breathe now. He wouldn't be able to when Tom flipped that switch again.

"Will you help us?"

Ah, he could understand now. "No," he replied, pleased that even though his voice was hoarse, it was steady.

In…and out.

The agony was back, without warning. He threw his head back, screwing his face against the pain. He was yelling, he knew he was, knew it wasn't helping. His chest was burning, body twitching…Then the pain was gone. Tim's yells quieted to a soft moan. There was silence in the room after that, filled only with his harsh breaths.

"They aren't coming for you," Tom whispered. "They blame you for his death."

Death? Well, he had shot that masked man, but why would his team blame him for that?

"After all, if you'd never gotten involved, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo would never have gotten shot, let alone died."

Tim felt the blood drain from his head, his breathing getting faster and faster. _No. Not true. He's not dead_.

That agony was racing through his body again, throwing his mind away from Tony. All he could think of was the pain, the fire that raced along his nerves. He might have been begging for the pain to stop, but he didn't think he could truly articulate anything. The pain stopped, leaving McGee confused.

There was something…something he was forgetting.

In…and out. In…and out.

"How does it feel?...Knowing that you are responsible for your friend's death?"

_Tony!_ Tim's head bowed as grief settled on him. It was his fault. If he hadn't gotten involved, if he had just told Gibbs, none of this would have happened!

_Tony…_

"Will you help us?"

_I'm so sorry. _

In…and out.

He shook his head and then screamed at the consequences of his choice.

_I deserve this…_


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Thanks for your fantastic reviews! Okay, so I know I said I might not be able to add anything this weekend, but I really wanted to have an update for you guys.

* * *

Tom was gone, for the moment. And he was _so _tired. Everything ached. His pain paled, though, in comparison with his guilt. His eyelids drooped. He was on the verge of unconsciousness and was hopeful he could find a release from his pain, just for a little while.

The door was opening slowly and McGee couldn't help but sigh. No, there was no rest. A figure entered the room quietly, shutting the door softly behind him. Who was this? The figure moved to stand in front of Tim, who shuddered. "What do you want?"

McGee knew who it was, even if he still wore his mask. Max leaned forward until his face was right above McGee's.

"It's my turn." Max circled the chair, "Where to begin?"

His fist shot out, catching McGee in the stomach. An audible _crack _filled the air, along with McGee's short yell.

Max covered Tim's mouth, "Shut up!"

McGee's eyebrows raised as he finally realized the reason behind Max's demeanor. He didn't have permission to be in McGee's room, and didn't have permission anymore to touch McGee. Max pulled out a bandana from his pocket and pulled it over Tim's mouth. Despite how much he struggled, Max still managed to secure it tightly.

Two more fists to the stomach made McGee groan through his gag. A hand suddenly grabbed McGee's throat and squeezed. Tim fought for air, feeling sick when he noticed Max's eyes crinkle. He was enjoying this!

"You! Let go of him!"

Max dropped his hand before turning slowly to meet Tom's gaze.

"Your boss needs this man's help, and I've been hired to secure his cooperation. I will _not _have someone messing with my methods!"

Max's hands clenched into fists and McGee wanted to smile. _Go ahead. Fight. Take each other out. _

Tom held up a hand, "Now, I really don't care what happens to him after he's done his job. Talk to your boss, because you can have him when we're through."

Max didn't move, not for several long seconds. Then, he jerked a nod and strode out the door. Tom remained just long enough to watch McGee; then he spun around and left him alone.

* * *

"Don't worry, Uncle. Everything is fine."

"I can't help it Johnny-boy. I don't want you to get caught."

John smiled at his uncle. It didn't matter that John was in his early thirties-his uncle was always looking out for him. But he didn't need to worry. Not this time. Johnny had come up with a brilliant plan, and had played his own part in it perfectly. Even McGee hadn't guessed he'd always been the target.

He knew his uncle was proud of him. Johnny had done some hacking, enough to leave a slight trace of his tampering. Then, he himself had gone to Vance and told him that he had found some suspicious activity in the NCIS files. Who would have expected the informant to be the actual perpetrator? Vance would put the best tech-savvy investigator on the case, which would be McGee. After that, it was easy to guess McGee's plan and watch for the fake files. A little more hacking and they were home-free. The only thing Johnny regretted was his inability to pull this off without McGee. If he had been just a little better, he could have pulled the con off without leaving a trace. But he wasn't that good.

He felt a small twinge of empathy. Agent McGee had a great deal of talent to offer, but he certainly couldn't be allowed to go free when they were finished with him. No, they would have to get rid of him. McGee would give them the information they needed to become rich. And then Johnny could use that money on his uncle. His uncle, who was suffering from a brain tumor. His uncle, whose accounts were almost wiped clean from the cost of the experimental medicine.

Johnny would have felt bad for Agent McGee, but all other emotion was eclipsed by his worry and love for his uncle. He would do anything to find a cure for him…was doing everything to find a cure for him. The money he could make off of the information McGee would get him would open new doors for his uncle's treatment.

To Johnny, McGee was a necessary sacrifice.


	15. Chapter 15

Gibbs had a feeling they were missing something. He ran his hand down his face, thinking. The only thing Abby could give them was that the camera had the ability to transmit over a distance of twenty miles. There had been no prints, no connection between the man they had in the hold and the man in the morgue, no names, nothing.

There had also not been any security breaches, and Gibbs wasn't sure if he should be worried or proud. Proud, because Tim hadn't done anything. Worried, because this was the second full day since Tim was taken and Gibbs knew all too well what could be happening to McGee right now. His clouded judgment was one reason that Tm was in this position and he would do everything in his power to get McGee back.

If only they had a lead! They had a hacker, an informant who demanded anonymity…Gibbs pushed up from his desk. His gut was telling him something was wrong, so instead of focusing on the information and leads he wished he had, he would start with the only lead they did have. The informant.

* * *

McGee looked at the knife, surprised at the fear coursing through his body. After the electricity Tom had used, McGee thought any other form of coercion wouldn't create such a strong reaction within him. He was wrong. He was scared, especially when he watched Tom lovingly decide which of the three sharp, wicked-looking knives he should use.

_Ooh, how about the one on the left? That looks the dullest. _Tim could do nothing to stop Tony's voice from filtering through his head. _Or how about none of them? That'd be even better. That way you won't get messy, and Probie here won't look like he got in a fight with...well…you. _Tim's eyes crinkled in humor, despite his grief. Tony would probably have talked Tom's ears off.

He shook his head, wishing he could be more like Tony, but he couldn't think of anything funny to say, couldn't even think about anything geeky to say. But that wasn't the only way he could be like Tony. Tony would do everything in his power _not_ to show pain or fear.

McGee straightened in his chair, determination now filling his face. His eyes hardened as Tom picked up a knife and turned to face him.

_Go ahead, _he taunted silently, _try to break me now._

* * *

AN: Wish me luck for my test and let me know what you guys thought!


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Thanks for the good luck, guys. Test is finished and I have a few more weeks until the next one!

* * *

"Leon, I'm gonna need to talk with your informant."

Vance leaned back in his chair. "I promised him anonymity."

"That was before McGee went missing," Gibbs shot back.

Vance nodded slowly, "Fine. Hold on." He started dialing a number, putting it on speakerphone. When no one picked up, Gibbs rocked on his feet impatiently, his gut telling him he was getting closer to an answer. Vance disconnected the call, immediately dialing another.

"This is Jim."

"Jim, Director Vance."

"Sir! Why-ah, wh-what can I do for you?"

Gibbs shook his head; the kid sounded just like McGee did when he'd first started on his team.

"I'm looking for John. He fixed a little computer issue of mine a few weeks ago and I was hoping he could help me with another problem."

"Oh! Well, John's not in right now. I can send someone else-"

"Did he call in sick today?" Vance asked after glancing at the clock-too late for him to be out for lunch, too early to leave for the day.

"No, sir," Jim's voice got quieter as he continued to talk, like he was telling a secret. "He's been coming and going at some odd times the past few days. He said something about a sick family member or something."

"It's just been the last couple of days?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, well, thanks for your help Jim."

"No problem, sir! Anytime!"

Vance shook his head slightly as he ended the call, his gaze falling on Gibbs. "Well?"

"That's beyond coincidental, that his schedule gets inconsistent right around the same time that McGee gets taken, don't you think?"

"You really think the guy who attempted to hack into our system is the same guy who came to warn me about it?"

"It's the only theory we've got. And to be honest, it's a good plan. Who would expect the informant to be the mole?"

* * *

The door slammed shut behind Tom and McGee let the smirk slide off his face. He shook his head slowly. Who would have thought Tom would get so angry at Tim's new attitude? Don't get him wrong, he was in a lot of pain, but McGee now felt a small measure of satisfaction when he saw Tom's frustration.

They thought he would have broken by now. Heck, he never thought he would last this long. The jabs from Tom, saying Tony's death was McGee's fault created two different reactions within him. On one hand, Tim was guilt-ridden and grieving. On the other hand…Tim had a burning desire to do something right, to honor Tony's memory by channeling a part of his personality. And as such, he was beyond determined not to break.

He hadn't forgotten the options he had; he knew he could still try and gain access to a computer by pretending to help, but that almost seemed…wrong now. Like pretending to break meant he was giving up. He rolled his head back and looked up at the light, frowning. Likely, the choice would be one made in the moment. His eyes blinked slowly as the adrenaline brought on from the last session wore off, and he gratefully sank into oblivion.

* * *

"Ziva, run a background check on John Stanfield. See if you can't find a sick relative, too. Tony, work on John's financial statements."

Before they could respond, Gibbs was already striding away. They raise their eyebrows at each other before starting to gather the information he had asked for. Maybe this meant they finally had a break in the case.

"Abby, I need you to do me a favor."

"What?"

Gibbs winced as he took in her expression and the flat tone of her voice. "I need you to run this number, track its location. Can you do that for me?"

Normally he wouldn't ask, but this was a special situation. Abby took the slip of paper he extended, staring at it blankly.

"It's a possible lead for McGee," Gibbs offered.

Her eyes snapped back up, the smallest trace of a spark reappearing. "It is?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Well, then," she brushed past him, "Consider it traced."

* * *

"What have you got?" Gibbs ordered as he returned to the bullpen.

"John Stanfield has been working here for seven years. Before that he attended MIT for a year before dropping out and attending Virginia Tech. When he was twelve, his parents were killed in a car accident. He was sent to live with his uncle, a Dylan Stanfield. Apparently, Dylan is very sick. I'm trying to get more details, but I've run into a Doctor-Patient Confidentiality issue," Ziva relayed.

Gibbs nodded, a piece of the puzzle falling into place. "DiNozzo?"

"Boss, his financial records are showing some serious stress this last year. I had a hunch, ran the uncle's record, too, after Ziva mentioned his health. Dylan Stanfield was very well-off, but his records have shown a steady drain the last five years."

"Gibbs! Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!"

Gibbs turned to see Abby running full tilt towards him. He put up his hands to catch her as she slid to a stop. "What did you find?"

"The number you had me trace, well the signal is transmitting from here right now. But I've been tracking its history, and some of the calls being made have been originating from, from…" She grabbed the remote from Tony, clicking it at the large screen. A map popped up.

"That's the building where McGee's meet was," Ziva said, stepping closer to the screen.

"Yes! And less than thirteen miles away from that is a warehouse, where much of the cellular activity has come from for the last few days!"

Gibbs stared at the screen for several moments. The camera they had found transmitted over an area of twenty miles. This warehouse was within that range. They had set this warehouse up as a safe house for themselves, _before_ the meet. John Stanfield had attended MIT, but dropped out…He was talented, but not so talented that he could hack into the NCIS system without getting caught. McGee was.

Gibbs felt his stomach twist as realization dawned. "McGee was always the target."

* * *

AN: Yeah, you guys already knew that, but Gibbs didn't. And seriously, writer's block is not fun. I've been staring at this chapter for quite a while, trying to finish it. Anyways, talk to me, let me know what you all thought! Until next time...


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the wonderful support and reviews.

* * *

"Why are you trying so hard? They're not coming for you. They don't know where you are, and they're not going to try all that hard to find you. Not after your actions killed your partner."

McGee's head was bowed. He drew in a deep breath through his nose, trying his best to keep his emotions under control.

"They're planning his funeral."

Tim flinched at the words, his mind filling with the awful images of Tony lying in a casket.

"They'll be able to have an open casket, since the bullet didn't go through his head."

McGee swallowed back a wave of nausea at the words and then scrunched his face in confusion at the tiny drop of water that landed on his leg. He hadn't even realized he was crying. But there it was…proof.

_Ah, Probie. I knew you'd miss me._

"Help us, and we'll find a way to let you see his service…You can say goodbye."

McGee watched as another little drop landed on his leg. He took a deep breath once more and blinked away the moisture in his eyes before looking up at Tom and speaking.

"You know, Tony was…a good man, a good agent. And he was brave. It was easy to underestimate him, but that was what he wanted." His voice was low; rough from his yells, but still steady. He studied Tom's face, which showed frustration and impatience. A grim smile crossed McGee's face for a split second before he continued. "If he were in my shoes, Tony would never give in to your demands…I am not Tony. And I know that you did not expect me to last this long."

Tom leaned forward, eagerness entering his expression.

"The reason for that is, since Tony is...is dead, I feel like I must honor his memory." McGee's mouth twisted up on one side, "Which means I will not give in. I will not help you. Ever."

McGee watched as Tom's face darkened. The punch to his jaw knocked his head to the side and rocked the chair with its force. Then Tom spun back around to the table, his hands hovering over the little console McGee had come to hate. He twisted a dial and McGee felt his stomach drop in fear.

"If you won't help, then maybe we'll just end this now!"

He pressed the button and McGee screamed louder than he ever had. Tom didn't make it last long, just a few seconds, but it was more than enough time for McGee to realize this was it. Tom was done messing around. The voltage was too high and his body would simply not be able to last.

Tom waited until McGee was able to meet his eyes. "One…_last_…time…Will you get us the files?"

It was strange. Little snippets of McGee's life were flashing in front of his eyes. His parents, his little sister, Gibbs, Kate, Ziva, Tony, Abby…His mind lingered on her longer than the rest before he came back to that dark room, to the pain, to Tom and his question.

This really was it.

"I will not."

"Very well. Goodbye, Agent McGee."

His hand lowered and he pressed the button.

* * *

AN: Hi...that was short and had a little bit of a cliffhanger, I think. I was going to put up a second chapter, but realized I had written myself into a corner. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can, which means it _may_ come before next weekend, if you all don't mind. Let me know what you thought!


	18. Chapter 18

AN: I wanted to get this up earlier, but that didn't work out. Because of that, I'm giving you guys two chapters!

* * *

There were several things that happened at once. There was that awful burning racing along his veins, stealing his breath…it felt like it had lasted forever, that all he had ever known was this fire. He could feel his heart thumping painfully and knew it was close, knew that he was moments away from death. He could feel himself slipping away and didn't even notice the gunshot that rang out.

Slowly, so slowly, his mind cleared enough to realize that there was no new pain, that the current had stopped. His screams had faded, leaving him to try and catch his breath; his chest heaving with exertion. There were voices, but they just seemed to float around him. He didn't have enough energy to care what the voices were saying, he was just slightly curious as to why he was still alive. He was positive Tom had meant to kill him. Ah well, whatever was going on, he didn't care, so long as they left him alone.

Something touched his face, and he flinched, cringing away from the contact. _What now?_ Whatever it was left his face and he felt a pressure on his shoulder. _ Go away…Please._

"McGee? Son, can you hear me?"

Words finally broke through and his breath caught. That sounded like… "Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Tim. It's me. Can you open your eyes?"

How had Gibbs found him? Better yet, why was he here? He should have been…been planning Tony's funeral. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking heavily against the pain that spiked through his head at the light. His eyes skimmed across the room and he saw agents cuffing Tom and leading him away, saw Ziva kneeling by his side, saw Gibbs kneeling in front of him. "Wh-why are you here?" He croaked, eyes furrowed in confusion as he stared at the man.

The only surprise that Gibbs showed at the question was a slight lifting of his eyebrows. "Well, Tim, we thought you probably wanted to come home."

McGee shook his head, "No, that's not…not what I meant. I…It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I should have told you…" The words were spilling from his mouth, his guilt making it impossible to stop speaking.

"Hey! Hey, it's okay," Gibbs kept his voice low, soothing and calm. "Don't worry about it right now. You were following orders…You don't have to apologize. I do. I never should have let them take you without a fight." His eyes tightened at the corners as he swept his gaze across McGee again.

"But Tony…I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Tim. Tony doesn't blame you for what happened."

McGee's blinks got even slower, his eyes closing for longer periods of time. "You…you can't know that; it's my fault, all of it. If-if I had just told you, then Tony wouldn't have…wouldn't have died." And with that, he slumped in his chair, content to let the blackness be his escape.


	19. Chapter 19

"Tony, you need to stay back. I can't have you going in with your injury."

"Boss, I-"

"No, DiNozzo. As soon as we clear the building and find McGee, you can come in. We can't take the chance your injury will get in the way."

Tony glared at the building in frustration as he paced in from of the ambulance they had hiding down the street. He needed to find McGee; he was his partner! But if his injury hampered the search, he would never forgive himself. He watched Gibbs lead a group of agents move down the street, toward the building. They were going into the building blind, not sure how many guards there might be. Vance had promised to keep John Stanfield preoccupied at NCIS while this search went on. They were trying to keep this as close to the vest as possible, so they had not arrested Stanfield yet, had not done anything to raise his suspicions. The last thing they needed was John tipping off his uncle in some way. He saw Gibbs hold back the agents and move along the building by himself. He stepped out of sight and Tony squinted, waiting for Gibbs to reappear again. When he did, he was dragging someone he had handcuffed. _There went the lookout, _Tony thought. Gibbs sent one of the agents back with the guard and Tony watched as the rest of the team entered the building, silent. He clenched his fists in impatience, waiting for something to come over his earpiece. _Hang on, Probie. We're on our way._

* * *

It was imperative that they enter the building silently and apprehend all of the gunmen without raising a warning. They did not want the precarious position they knew McGee was in to become an even more dangerous hostage position. Gibbs scanned the interior of the building, pointing out one guard that stood by an older man. _Dylan Stanfield. _Three agents moved to apprehend them, keeping to the shadows. The guard moved for his gun when he saw the agents, freezing when he saw he was outnumbered. Gibbs continued through the warehouse, Ziva right behind him. They paused before a door, the unmistakable sounds of a television sitcom coming from inside the room. He rushed the room, followed by Ziva and two other agents. There were two more guards in the room, one of them letting out a shout of surprise as the agents rushed in.

Still no sign of McGee.

His gut was warning him time was running out when a scream split the silence. Immediately, they were moving toward the noise, unwilling to dwell on the fact that they knew who it was that was creating such a gut-wrenching sound. They paused before a door, eyes meeting for a brief second before they rushed the room, just as another scream split the air, raising the hair on the back of their necks. Gibbs gaze swept across the room, and he fired off a shot in the next instant, destroying the device that was causing _his _agent so much agony. Gibbs ignored the man glaring at him, choosing to let the agents that followed them into the room to handcuff him. He and Ziva were too busy rushing to McGee's side, shock twisting their expressions.

The young agent's screams had faded, but he had yet to open his eyes. Gibbs and Ziva were talking to him, trying to encourage him to open his eyes, but Gibbs seriously doubted that McGee even knew they were there. His gaze swept across Tim, his gaze narrowing at each injury he saw, before reaching out a hand to his face. Tim flinched, and he pulled away immediately, setting his hand on McGee's shoulder instead.

"McGee? Son, can you hear me?"

It took a few moments for Tim to answer, but when he did, Gibbs let out the smallest sigh.

"Gibbs?"

The voice was weak, hoarse, but it was one of the best sounds that Gibbs had heard in a long while. "Yeah, Tim. It's me. Can you open your eyes?"

He watched the eyes slowly blink open, green eyes unfocused as they slid across the room before landing on him.

"Wh-why are you here?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows at the strange question. "Well, Tim, we thought you probably wanted to come home."

McGee shook his head, "No, that's not…not what I meant. I…It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I should have told you…"

"Hey! Hey, it's okay," Gibbs kept his voice low, soothing and calm. "Don't worry about it right now. You were following orders…You don't have to apologize. I do. I never should have let them take you without a fight." His eyes tightened at the corners as he swept his gaze across McGee again, taking in the bruises, the knife wounds, and the way his whole body trembled. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to forget the haunted look in Tim's eyes.

"But Tony…I'm so sorry."

Gibbs was surprised at the tears he saw filling McGee's eyes, but he assumed it was just from the stress and exhaustion. "It's okay, Tim. Tony doesn't blame you for what happened."

He could hear Tony leading the paramedics into the building, could hear him over the earpiece, urging them to move faster. McGee's blinks got even slower, his eyes closing for longer periods of time. "You…you can't know that; it's my fault, all of it. If-if I had just told you, then Tony wouldn't have…wouldn't have died."

Gibbs caught the slumping figure, stunned by the young man's last comment. Speechless, he turned to look at the doorway, his gaze falling on Tony's stunned expression.

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AN: This story has gotten a lot longer than I thought it would be. Hopefully you guys aren't getting tired of it yet!


	20. Chapter 20

AN: I am SO sorry I did not update last weekend. Please forgive me! I've been struggling with this chapter and what comes next, but I (hopefully) have it ironed out now.

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Tony was restless, too restless to sit still in those uncomfortable chairs, so he paced at the foot of Tim's bed. Gibbs and Ziva had left the hospital room just a few minutes earlier to finish interrogating the Stanfields, leaving him to watch over McGee. A part of his mind was focused on Tim, cataloguing every breath and any movement. The other part of his mind was going in endless circles. Tim was hurt, Tim thought that he, Tony, was dead, Tony had not had his partner's back, and Tim was hurt.

One hand scrubbed down his face in agitation. Tim was hurt both physically _and _mentally. How could he have believed, even if only for a moment, that McGee could betray them? He never should have doubted him.

His pacing slowed and he came to a stop, studying Tim. He was so still, so pale. Tony gripped the bedrail, head bowed. He was exhausted. This whole situation had lasted far too long, with him and McGee bearing the physical consequences. At least it was over. Finally. McGee just needed to wake up and heal.

A slight groan and the movement of fists clenching sheets caught his attention.

"Tim?" He kept his voice soft, hoping not to startle him. He saw McGee frown, his eyes still closed.

"Tony?" His voice was hoarse, his exhaustion evident in the slight slur to his voice.

"Yeah, Tim. Are you okay?"

"No."

There was so much grief in that one word it left Tony speechless.

"I'm sorry, Tony. Sorry…I killed you."

Tony felt his breath leave him, the words seeming to hit him right in the chest. Yes, he had suspected this, but he had been hoping fervently that he was wrong.

"No. No Tim, I'm not dead. You didn't kill me."

Tim shook his head at the words. "Saw the…blood. There was…so much. And he told me your funeral was…was being planned."

Tony just stared at Tim, trying to control the emotions that were overwhelming him with their intensity. He thought he might be sick. His injury had been exploited, used to torture McGee. And he was angry. He was starting to wish he had interrogated one of those men…Especially the one who had done such damage to his friend.

"Tim, they lied. I'm not dead; there's no funeral planned. I was shot, you saw that, but it was a through and through. I'll be back to normal in no time."

"No, I…Tony, I saw the blood. And he told me over and over!" He was squeezing his eyes shut now, hands clenching and unclenching the bed sheets in his distress.

"Tim, open your eyes."

McGee shook his head. "No."

"McGee, open your eyes. Look at me."

He shook his head again. "No. You're dead. You won't be there!"

"Probie! Do not make me Gibbs-slap you! Open your eyes!"

McGee managed to somehow huff a laugh and still remain frowning. The banter seemed to fall from Tim's lips without conscious thought. "You would hit an injured man? I think you've reached a new low."

"This coming from the man who cried when I spilled coffee near his computer."

"I did not cry!" His eyes snapped open with his heated response, his next words dying on his lips.

Tony grinned in relief as he stared at McGee's eyes that were wide in shock, easily able to see the disbelief and hope Tim was struggling with. "Could have fooled me. There were little tears in your McSoulful eyes."

"Tony…you're not…?"

Tony leaned towards McGee, placing his hand on Tim's shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. "No. I'm fine."

McGee moved his hand to grasp Tony's arm. A huge smile broke across his battered face as he stared at his friend, shaking his head in happy disbelief.

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AN: Yay, a happy ending to a chapter. Not quite done with the story yet, though... :) Not sure when the next update will come; I have another huge test coming up. Let me know what you thought (Try not to yell at me for the late update)! Thank you, my friends!


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I'm really sorry for the long wait again. At least this chapter is a long one! And thank you, thank you for your awesome responses!

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Gibbs rubbed his hand across his face, deep in thought. Something wasn't sitting right. The man they had in holding-Brandon Jenkins-had only told them about four guards; the one who had died and three more. When they raided the warehouse where McGee was, they arrested Dylan Stanfield, the man who had tortured McGee, and four more guards. Of course, Gibbs had known Jenkins was just a lackey, had expected him to not know everything, but it was imperative that he make sure everyone connected to this case was arrested. He owed it to McGee; it was the very least that he could do. And that was the reason he was walking into Dylan's interrogation room first.

"I'm not saying anything until my lawyer comes." Dylan folded his arms, leaning back in his chair as he glared at Gibbs.

"Didn't think you would."

Dylan humphed and looked past Gibbs to the two-way mirror. Gibbs studied the man, waiting until Dylan shifted uncomfortably before breaking the silence. "How long do you have left?"

Dylan's gaze snapped back to Gibbs, his eyes narrowing in surprise. He seemed to consider his words before he spoke, apparently deciding on whether or not he should comment on the subject without his lawyer. "A few months."

Gibbs nodded slowly, noting the dark shadows beneath the man's eyes, the paleness of his skin. "You love your nephew."

"He is my world."

Gibbs leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Then I don't understand. How could you let your nephew be included in this? He's going to jail for a long time."

Dylan shook his head, "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. He loves me, too."

"I'm betting you didn't push that hard to make him stop. You don't want to die."

"Who does, Agent Gibbs? But I'll admit that I don't want to leave my nephew."

"But now your nephew's going to jail," Gibbs reiterated. "You could have spent your last few months with John; instead, you're both going to jail. You'll be separated. And long after you're _dead_, Johnny will still be suffering for the crime he committed for _you_."

A spasm of pain crossed Dylan's face for the first time, remorse settling across his features. He pursed his lips, dark eyes focusing on the table before looking back at Gibbs. "Is there anything…?"

"Your nephew won't talk. We want all of the details, all of the loose ends tied up."

Dylan nodded. "I'll get him to talk."

…

"You want to talk about it?"

Tim stiffened, his eyes snapping to Tony before quickly darting away again. "Not really."

Tony frowned, not sure what he should do or say that would help his friend. He sifted through several movie references and jokes, deciding that each were insignificant and would do nothing to draw out McGee. Finally, he went simply with "Thank you."

McGee turned to look back at Tony, surprised. "For what?"

"For saving my life."

Comprehension dawned, and McGee shook his head, giving a slight shrug. "You would have done the same for me."

Tony almost winced, his guilt growing at Tim's innocent comment. "I didn't have your back, Tim," Tony said, voice deep with emotion.

"And I didn't tell you what I was doing," Tim replied.

Tony sighed. "You were following orders. Trust me, I understand," He said, pushing back the memories that surfaced from the La Grenouille case.

Tim nodded, deep in thought. Tony could tell he wanted to say something, but was hesitant to do so. He waited patiently, not wanting to push him.

"Did you really believe I was a mole?"

"No," Tony answered quickly as he shook his head. "None of us did. We were just trying to figure out what was going on and we were overwhelmed. There was evidence that wasn't adding up, Vance was telling us he hadn't put you on any cases…We were flying blind."

"Gibbs believed it," Tim interrupted quietly, his mind clearly recalling the accusation on Gibbs' face.

"He didn't believe it. Not really. And he's been looking for you nonstop."

"You didn't see his face…" Tim whispered, the lines grooved on his face clearly showing Tony how hurt he had been by Gibbs' seeming dismissal.

Tony leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands as he tried to explain to Tim what it had been like on the other side of the operation. "Look, Tim…None of us could ever believe that you were going to sell classified information. It's just not something you would do. Ever. That being said…You weren't talking to us and you were acting suspicious. At first we just thought it was something personal and tried to be there if you wanted to talk, but you never said anything. More time passes and we still don't know anything; and you make a lame excuse to leave in the middle of an investigation...I followed you, saw you having a meeting with some guy in the shadows, and it just…didn't make any sense.

Then at the next meet, we all see you meeting with guys that don't look like your friendly neighbor-type, the guns being a dead giveaway; I get shot and Gibbs sees you in a room with your computer all ready to go…We were all having trouble separating what we knew from what we were seeing. We knew you couldn't sell out NCIS, but the evidence was sitting right there in plain sight that something bad was happening. And you were smack-dab in the middle of it."

"How…how did you guys know about that second meet? I only told Vance."

"Ah…" Tony said, shifting awkwardly in his chair. "Well, I saw that meeting at the footbridge."

"Okay," Tim said slowly, confused still. "But the information was on a slip of paper, in my pocket. You wouldn't have overheard anything."

"Right, well…Ziva took you to get coffee when you came back? She picked your pocket, read the paper, and slipped it back, obviously before you even knew it was missing."

McGee mouth dropped slightly in surprise. "I didn't even…I should have noticed that."

"Yeah, but this is Ziva we're talking about. She has mad ninja skills."

A tired smile crossed his face as his eyes drooped.

"You going to sleep on me, Probie?"

"I'm sorry…I'm just so tired."

Tony gave a short laugh. "It's okay."

Tim forced his eyes open, a worried frown appearing as he looked at Tony. "You'll be here when I wake up?"

Tony swallowed at Tim's earnest expression before nodding and forcing a smile. "Of course."

Another smile ghosted across McGee's face before his eyes closed and his face relaxed in sleep.

…

Gibbs watched Dylan and his nephew through the observation window, waiting. John hadn't wanted to talk, but Dylan was slowly persuading him. Johnny was the mastermind. Gibbs knew that, had known that from the moment he and his team had found out John was involved. While he was positive John had not touched his agent, Gibbs still struggled to control his anger. This man had targeted his agent, had carelessly decided McGee's life held no value except to be the pawn that would supply him with money.

Gibbs clutched the thick folder in his hands as he walked in on the two men. Dylan put his hand on John's shoulder as he looked up at Gibbs and nodded.

Gibbs sat down, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Start talking. From the beginning."

John mirrored Gibbs' posture, mouth stubbornly glued shut.

"Johnny-boy! Tell him. This is your only chance," Dylan urged.

John clenched his jaw, finally spitting out a "Fine." He uncrossed his arms, drumming his fingers on the table as he started speaking. Gibbs sat silent through his statement, face expressionless.

When John started talking about the men he had hired, Gibbs pulled out pictures of each of the men that had been arrested. He laid them in front of Johnny, watching as the man shuffled through the pictures.

"These men were arrested at the warehouse. Who are they?"

John spread the pictures across the table, for once an emotion besides anger and defiance crossing his face. "These are the men you arrested? All of them?" He asked, confused.

"Yes. Why?" Gibbs asked, his voice sharp as that feeling in his gut grew stronger.

John looked up, meeting his gaze as he answered. "Because you missed someone."

…

He was having a nightmare. And Tony couldn't wake him up. "Come on, Probie! It's just a dream! Wake up!" He shook Tim's shoulder, but he just continued to groan, face twisting at the remembered pain. The broken words that fell from his mouth as he clenched his hands in the bed sheets stung Tony's ears, whose own anger and guilt were still thick.

"I won't help you…No…don't…Please! Please stop…No, he's not…It's not true! Tony…"

"Tim!" He shook Tim's shoulder urgently until the young man finally pried his eyes open with a short cry, cringing away from Tony's hand. His eyes were wide-open in fear and confusion, breath coming in gasps as he looked around the room, replacing the images of his dark nightmare with the light of the hospital room.

Tim closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he fought to calm himself. He shuddered, pressing his mouth together, red tingeing his cheeks in embarrassment. Finally, he opened his eyes to meet Tony's concerned gaze. "Sorry."

"You okay?"

McGee nodded, relaxing back onto the bed, eyes closing once more. He felt Tony shake his shoulder again. "Hey, Probie. The doctor's here. Can you stay awake?"

Tim sighed and forced his eyes open. "Yeah. I'm…" The words froze on his lips as his gaze fell on the doctor walking up behind Tony. Brown eyes peered back at him, a familiar cold, viciousness in their depths. Slowly, the man smiled and Tim gasped, "No!"

"Tim?" Tony turned, looking behind him in confusion, his hand falling on his gun as he twisted around.

He was too late, though. Max had already pulled his gun from the pocket of the white lab coat and swung it at Tony's head. McGee bolted up from the bed, ignoring the pain as he tried to prevent Tony's unconscious form from crashing to the floor; but when Max swung the gun in his direction, he froze.

Max gave another smile. "You didn't think you would be able to escape me, did you?"

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AN: I have no defense other than to say...I had to do it. Maybe two chapters left after this? I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought!


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Thanks for your comments!

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"Get up," Max ordered, gun pointing at McGee.

"I…I can't."

The gun moved until it was pointing at Tony and McGee felt a déjà-vu. "You'll figure out a way," Max said calmly.

McGee moved to slide off the bed slowly, knowing that if his body had not been receiving a steady dose of pain medication, movement would have been impossible. Adrenaline also went a long way in helping him. He slid his legs from the bed, grateful for the sweat pants the hospital had provided him.

The trembling that Tim had been able to hide when he talked to Tony grew. He felt his legs shaking as he stood, and he leaned heavily against the bed.

"Let's go."

"What? Is your plan to just…walk out of here…holding a gun? You…you do know that's a little ob-obvious."

Max grabbed his arm and pulled McGee in front of him. Tim stumbled, moaning as the movement jolted his injuries. "I'm just a doctor taking a patient for a walk." He pushed McGee forward, shoving his gun into the pocket of his lab coat.

Slowly, McGee stumbled from the room, Max's grip the only thing keeping him from falling to the floor as they shuffled to the elevator.

"Try anything and I won't hesitate to shoot you."

Tim looked around the busy hallway, stunned that no one realized something was wrong, and that no nurses or doctors questioned why he was walking around, when it was obvious he shouldn't even be out of bed. He leaned against the back wall of the elevator, shutting his eyes as he tried to marshal his strength. Max's warning was unnecessary. Tim wasn't going to try anything until he had a chance to get the upper-hand. And that wasn't in an enclosed elevator, where he had no chance at getting away.

It wasn't until the elevator stopped and Max pushed him out that McGee knew where they were going.

"The morgue? Well, that's…original." Apparently he was still channeling Tony.

"Shut up," Max growled, as he pushed at Tim impatiently, annoyed at the slow progress they made down the hallway. When they finally reached the empty morgue, Max gave a particularly vicious shove, and McGee landed heavily against one of the tables. Pain stole his breath and he felt himself starting to sink to the floor. Max grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, one arm against McGee's throat, the other punching him hard in the side. "I've been waiting for this moment."

In the next instant, McGee was crashing backwards into one of the carts, the objects lying on its surface falling to the floor with a deafening noise. Max was suddenly in front of him, wrapping his hands around his neck. Tim choked, his hands flying to his neck as he tried to pull Max's hands away. His vision was starting to grow fuzzy at the corners, and he couldn't help but realized the irony of the situation. He had completely expected to die when he was missing, had actually come to peace with his impending death…and he was saved. Just minutes ago, he was starting to relax. Tony was alive and McGee wasn't worried that someone would run into his room and kill him. And now he was perilously close to dying…in a morgue…

His hands stopped clawing at Max's hands, falling back onto the cart that he was pushed against. He was not giving up! He was tired of being a victim! The whole time he had been missing, he had been unable to fight back, but this time…this time he could. If he could find something to fight with, that was…He felt around the top of the table, searching…His hand bumped into something and he acted quickly, knowing he couldn't last much longer. He swung his hand with as much strength as he could, and the metal pan he was holding hit Max right in the head. Max swore, his hands falling from Tim's throat. Tim coughed, landing on the floor as his legs finally gave out. He wasted no time trying to scramble away from Max.

Unfortunately, Max recovered quickly, too quickly for McGee to get far enough away, and he sent a vicious kick that hit Tim right in the ribs. He curled up around the pain, groaning in agony. Max took a step back and pulled out his gun, waiting until Tim was looking at him before he spoke. "Goodbye, Agent McGee."

Tim saw movement out of the corner of his eye and gave a faint smile, "Goodbye, Max."

Max tilted his head in confusion before tightening his finger on the trigger. A gun went off, and Max gasped, eyes wide in surprise as he looked down at the circle of red steadily growing over his chest. "No…" He groaned, before falling to the floor, his eyes wide, but unseeing.

McGee sucked in a breath as he looked away from Max and met Tony's eyes. The fierce concentration and anger in Tony's eyes faded into concern as he dashed forward. "Probie! Are you okay?"

"Guess…guess we're even…now," McGee said.

Tony forced a smile at McGee's comment, putting his hand on Tim's shoulder to stop him from standing.

"Hold on," he said, before turning to kick the gun away from Max's limp grasp and leaning down to put his fingers on his neck. Satisfied the man wasn't going to be any more trouble for McGee, he turned back to Tim. "Can you walk?"

McGee nodded quickly, anxious to get away from the dead body.

"How…how did you know…we were in the morgue?" Tim asked as he leaned on Tony to stand.

"I had hospital security going through the footage from the security cameras, but I was already on my way down here...gut feeling. Not a very original choice, was it?"

Tim snorted, "I thought you would say that."

Tony didn't say anything; he just looked at McGee in curiosity over that statement. He wrapped his hand around McGee's arm to stop him from swaying. "I hate to break it to you, but I am _so_ not carrying you out of here like a damsel in distress. Are you going to be able to walk?"

Tim gave a short laugh. "Good to know, and yeah; I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? Because I only have the one arm right now. There's no way I'm going to be able to catch you if you fall."

"Don't worry…I'll be fine, Tony."

"Okay, here we go." Tony wrapped his arm around Tim and they took a step forward, Tony's grip tightening when he felt McGee start to fall.

"McGee! Come on, McGee; don't do this to me!" He grimaced as Tim pulled him to the floor, the movement pulling at his shoulder. He rolled his eyes when he saw Tim had passed out. "Oh, yeah; 'Tony, don't worry! I can walk!'" He scoffed. He knelt down besides Tim, doing his best to make him more comfortable. He let his hand rest on Tim's head for a moment, eyes shutting as he relived those horror-filled moments when he regained consciousness and found Tim and the mysterious 'doctor' missing, his phone ringing as Gibbs called to warn him too late to be on guard. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about how unfair it was; that Tim had survived, barely survived, a horrible incident only to be killed when that whole incident was supposed to be over, when he was supposed to be safe.

He pulled out his phone; he needed to get Tim back up to his room and Gibbs needed to know their missing suspect had been found and that Tim was okay.

This time, it really _was _over.

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AN: A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! By the way...reviews make wonderful presents...just saying... :D One more chapter left!


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Sorry about the long wait. Thanks for being so patient!

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Gibbs paused outside of Tim's hospital room, studying the scene in front of him before entering. Despite the fact that the danger was past, that every person involved with McGee's kidnapping had been caught, Tony was still watching over Tim. His chair was positioned so that he had a full view of the door, while still being right next to Tim.

"Boss," Tony said, his voice pitched low so he wouldn't wake McGee.

"DiNozzo." He lifted his eyebrows, waiting for Tony to give him an update.

"He passed out before I could get him back upstairs. He woke up a little while ago, but he wasn't up for long. I'm not even sure how he managed to move so much when Max," His lips curled up as he said the name, and Gibbs felt his own face mirroring the expression, "forced him to the morgue. He even managed to fight back a little." Tony looked down at McGee's face, and Gibbs couldn't miss the pride that tinged his voice.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked.

Tony's hand went to his head, giving a slight wince. "Didn't hit hard enough to give me a concussion. Just hard enough to stop me from keeping Tim safe."

"Hey," Gibbs said softly, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder. "You did a good job, Tony." He looked at McGee before meeting Tony's eyes again. "Go. Go home, get some rest. I'll stay tonight."

Tony shook his head, unwilling to leave. "I'll stay, Boss."

"It's okay, Tony. Go home."

Tony stood, stretching slightly, his hand brushing against Tim's arm as he started walking to the door. He paused before leaving, shifting uncomfortably as he met Gibbs' gaze.

"He's…"

"I know, DiNozzo." Tony didn't need to say that McGee was upset that the team-that Gibbs-had doubted his innocence.

"G'night, Boss."

"Get outta here, Tony," Gibbs growled with a little smile.

"Right. Leaving, Boss."

Gibbs shook his head in amusement before looking back over at Tim, his expression sobering as he studied the young man. He had memorized Tim's injuries when he had been at the hospital earlier, and he winced now when he caught sight of the new bruises that were blossoming on his face.

Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face, leaning back in the chair heavily. He knew he couldn't have prevented McGee's abduction; there were simply too many men for Gibbs to have been able to do anything. But he still could have done something to let McGee know he wasn't alone, that the team would look for him until they found him. Instead, he had done nothing but show his misplaced distrust in the young agent. He closed his eyes and shook his head, upset with himself.

His eyes snapped opened when he heard something shift in the room, and he leaned forward in his chair when he saw Tim's green eyes staring at him.

"Hey, Tim."

"Gibbs."

"How are you feeling?" He leaned forward to grasp Tim's hand, but froze when McGee flinched away from him.

McGee shifted under Gibbs' scrutiny, looking down at his hands as he twisted them in a nervous gesture. "Sorry," he muttered.

Gibbs shook his head and cleared his throat. "You don't have anything to be sorry for," He said, pulling his hand back and resting it on the rails of the bed. "I do, however."

McGee looked back up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Gibbs in uncertainty.

"I…jumped to conclusions, McGee. I made decisions based on incomplete evidence; I second-guessed the facts-one fact. That you are the most loyal agent that I have ever met. I knew when I first met you how…honest you were. And when you started working for me, there was no way you would be able to hide an undercover assignment from me. But now…you've grown as an agent. When you don't want to be, when you put your mind to it, you're not transparent. You can hide things from the team, from me. You really have to work at it, but you can do it." Gibbs gave a quick smile before continuing. "And these last few weeks, you have been."

McGee's gaze dropped again, his shoulders slumping even lower than they had been.

"McGee, this is not your fault. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You were following a direct order from the Director, and I respect that. I respect the lengths that you went to for this mission. And I'm damn proud of you, son, because your plan would have worked. If those men had been after what we all thought they were, if there really were just looking for information, your plan would have succeeded. But their plan was to use you. They knew you wouldn't give them the real information, so they came up with a plan that they thought would make you give in. But you never broke. And that's another reason I'm proud of you."

McGee blinked and looked away, his gaze scouring the room as he tried to control his emotions. "It hurt…" He trailed off, blinking rapidly at the moisture that gathered in his eyes.

"What hurt?" Gibbs asked softly, knowing that McGee needed the chance to talk about everything and to get everything that had happened out in the open. And Gibbs wanted to give him that chance, wanted McGee to trust him enough to be able to share what had happened. And with that one question, McGee's composure cracked. He was talking so fast some of his words tripped over each other. His body was still shaking from exhaustion, from the torture he had endured and the stress he was under, but still he spoke. When Gibbs felt like it was the right time, he reached over and grasped McGee's hand, squeezing it as the emotions became too much for Tim to keep a tight rein on and the tears started falling down his face. His cheeks were red from embarrassment, but he still continued talking, telling Gibbs what it had been like in that dark room with only Max and Tom for company, what it had felt like to believe that Tony was dead and that his team wouldn't be looking for him.

Gibbs just listened, his gaze never leaving Tim's face. He nodded from time to time, to offer him assurance or encourage him to continue, but never once did his eyes leave Tim's. When Tim started talking about Tom's ultimatum, that Tim help or he would be killed, Gibbs felt his own eyes filling at the loyalty Tim had shown for Tony. When the tears came too fast for Tim to control and his breathing hitched from the heavy emotions, Gibbs stood quickly from his chair, wrapping his arms carefully around the younger man. Tim gripped the back of Gibbs' shirt in his fists as he tried to swallow the tears.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Tim repeated over and over again, and Gibbs closed his eyes as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Tim, listen to me. I meant what I said. You have nothing to apologize for! _I'm_ sorry, that I doubted you. And I am so…so proud of you."

Tim nodded into his shoulder and Gibbs felt his grip on his shirt loosen. He didn't pull back until he was sure McGee had fallen asleep. He sat back down in the chair, watching over his agent and thinking. He knew he had made a mistake by doubting Tim, but he was determined to make up for his mistake, to prove that McGee could trust him. It wouldn't be easy, but Gibbs was stubborn, and he wouldn't quit until the team as a whole had been restored. It would be his job to make sure that Tim was healed, and that this event wouldn't break them apart. And this…this was one mission that Gibbs had no intention of failing. They were a family, and he was going to make sure they stayed that way.

* * *

AN: And that's it! I might come up with a sequel to this story in the future, but I don't have any more plans for this story right now. Oh, and I've been struggling with coming up with a new idea for NCIS, so if any of you have a prompt you'd like me to try my hand at, feel free to PM me! Thank you for all of your support for this story! Let me know what you all thought of the last chapter?


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